Richard Ferrand, a close aide of French President Emmanuel Macron who was named a minister weeks ago, said today that his move out of the government to a job as leader of his party in Parliament was “strategic,” as he dodged questions as to whether he had been sidelined by the President.
Macron’s right-hand man during the presidential campaign, Ferrand became embroiled in allegations of financial impropriety within days of the centrist’s victory in May.
A preliminary investigation is under way over allegations that he benefitted improperly from property deals done six years ago by a health insurance fund he managed in the Brittany region. Weekly Le Canard Enchainé had reported that Ferrand received a discount on renting office space from his partner’s real estate company while he was at the helm of a health insurance fund. He denied any wrongdoing when a regional prosecutor launched a preliminary investigation into the case earlier this month.
The affair tainted the early weeks of Macron’s presidency with a whiff of bigger scandals that hit some of his opponents during a bitter presidential campaign.
Under a government reshuffle to be conducted this week after Macron’s party won a majority in Parliament at the weekend, Ferrand is to step down as minister for territorial planning.
He will instead lead the of the 308 lawmakers representing Macron’s Republic on the Move (LREM) party in the National Assembly, the 577-seat Lower House of Parliament.
Many of them are young and new to politics, although they are allied in Parliament to another long-established centrist party, MoDem, or Democratic Movement. The new Parliament will be at least six years younger on average, have a record 224 women lawmakers and will comprise of lawmakers from diverse backgrounds.
“It is a strategic role,” he told RTL Radio.
“Emmanuel Macron has signalled the confidence that unites us… He judged that it was a good moment because I know the parliamentary procedure well,” Ferrand said.
He was a Socialist Member of Parliament who deserted the now-devastated party to join Macron’s cause.
Other ministers in Macron’s government are from The Republicans, the mainstream conservative party that was also decimated by LREM in Sunday’s parliamentary vote.
(Inputs from UNI)
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